Stonehenge, England: Druids and other followers of pagan religions will travel to the 5,000-year-old monument in Wiltshire to watch the sun rise above the stones. However, the Spring Equinox and summer solstice are much more popular times for people to flock to Stonehenge.

How is the Fall Equinox traditionally celebrated?

Celestial movements have been observed throughout history, and continue to have great cultural and religious significance. These are some of the major traditions that revolve around the Fall Equinox.

Mabon: Many witches observe this pagan festival in the Wheel of the Year, a calendar that symbolizes the turning of time and nature’s cycles, which celebrates the harvest of summer and prepares for the darkness of winter.

Mid-Autumn Festival: Otherwise known as the Moon Festival, China and Vietnam celebrate this on the full moon closest to the equinox, which is also the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Mooncakes and moongazing are in order.

Higan: This is a Buddhist holiday in Japan during both equinoxes. The period around the event is known as ohigan, which translates to “the other shore,” and is a time to remember the dead and visit their graves. 

Michaelmas: This Christian tradition, otherwise known as the Feast of Michael or All Angels, is associated with the beginning of fall because it falls near the equinox—nowadays, it is a minor festival observed by Catholics.

So I’ve heard…

An astral alignment is an extraordinary thing in and of itself, but some of the myths that result from it just aren’t true—even if they are partially based on fact.

Balancing an egg: There are rumors that you can perfectly balance an egg during the equinox because of celestial alignment, but this isn’t true (although you could probably balance an egg any time of the year if you tried hard enough). The myth probably dates back to the Chinese practice of egg-balancing on the Spring Equinox, to symbolize growth and fertility.

Disappearing shadows: Theoretically, if the sun is directly above you at noon while you are standing right on the equator, no shadow would be cast. But, as AccuWeather notes, the circumstances would have to be so perfect that they are basically impossible.

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